Responsibilities

As a Study Abroad or Study USA student, it is your responsibility to:

  • Review your graduation requirements with your academic advisor(s).
  • Discuss with a GEC advisor how Study Abroad or Study USA courses fit into your graduation requirements.
  • Take an appropriate combination of courses and semester hours abroad to maintain progress toward degree completion.
  • Select alternate/back-up course options should your first choices be denied approval by Elon or become unavailable at the host program.
  • Meet any Elon and host program course prerequisites that may apply.

What to Expect

Ways that study away is the same as study at Elon

  • Grades count and affect GPA.
  • Failure to attend class, without formally/officially withdrawing from a course, will result in a Failing grade.
  • Missing an exam, without formally/officially withdrawing from a course, will result in a Failing grade.
  • If you ever decide to apply to graduate school, any graduate program is likely to ask for your study abroad transcripts and will evaluate those grades alongside your other Elon grades.

Ways that study away can vary substantially from Elon

  • Your grade can be determined by your results on one exam or one paper.
  • Your grade can be determined by very few points of assessment throughout the term, as compared to the typical American course.
  • Not every course provides a detailed syllabus (e.g. instead you may get a reading list).
  • Professors may not keep office hours, as compared to the typical U.S.-based professor.
  • Universities and programs abroad may not have the same grade appeal process afforded to Elon students when they are on-campus.  There may be no grade appeal process offered at all.
  • There may be no attendance policy.  There may be a strictly enforced attendance policy.
  • Exam periods at the end of a semester may take place over a two to three period (compared to the one “exam week” model followed by my U.S. institutions).
  • Students may experience less in-class discussion in some academic systems.
  • Many systems around the world expect students to spend more time studying outside of class time in proportion to in-class “contact hours,” than is generally expected in the U.S.
  • Classroom decorum may be more formal or less than formal than Elon students have previously experienced.
  • Notions of what is considered academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.) may vary dramatically from what is practiced at Elon.

General Considerations

  • Grade conversions can vary by institution.  There is no one universally adopted grade conversion scale.
  •           -Example One:  Grades from one study abroad program may be translated differently by U.S. institutions.  A grade of “” from a French institution may be treated as a “B” by Elon and as a “B+” by a different U.S. institution.
  •           -Example Two: There are three universities in Dublin.  All of which have A-F grade scale.  However,  Elon has a separate grade conversion scale for each Irish university based on the details of that particular institution.
  • Courseloads (the number of course taken in a given term of study and the “weight” of each class taken) vary across countries, institutions, and programs.
  • Students may take 3, 4, 5 or 6 discrete courses in one semester.  Each course taught abroad does automatically equate to Elon’s standard 4 semester hour course.  Elon has 1 and 2 semester hour courses, and so it is not uncommon to find such courses taught abroad as well.
  • Students should not expect special consideration for re-scheduling class assessments, assignments, or exams, because of desire to complete personal travel or because family members are visiting them abroad.  Example: students should not expect to get to take an exam early because they prematurely booked a flight home at the end of term which departs before the scheduled exam takes place.
  • Considerations for missing class or for religious holidays should be established between the host program and the Elon student prior to the start of the term.
  • Students experiencing disruptions to study or the taking of exams due to strikes, demonstrations or other disturbances on campus should contact the GEC immediately for consultation and support.  Accommodations shall be determined in coordination with, and consistent with the policies of the host program/university.

Course Planning Instructions

Be sure to follow the specific instructions for registering your courses for your specific type of global engagement.

For Elon Center, affiliate and exchange programs:

Most credit from semester and summer programs away is transferred to Elon from other institutions. In order to ensure that credit transfers as expected, students must complete a course review form.

The only courses that do not need to be reviewed on a course review form are courses taught by the Elon faculty in residence on Elon Center programs.  All other courses on center, affiliate, and exchange programs should be reviewed through the process below.

The Course Review Form is hosted on the eDocs platform. To access eDocs, users must either be on campus or use Elon’s VPN. Guidance on setting up and using Elon’s VPN is below.

Course Review Process

1. Ensure that you have an updated graduation plan. Your academic advisor can help you update your plan.

2. Review your host program’s course offerings. Course information or a link to the provider’s webpage is provided on the Elon brochure page for each program. If courses are not yet available, base your selections on the most recent posted information. Make sure you are referencing courses offered in the correct term; offerings abroad vary between fall and spring semesters just as they do at Elon.

3. Complete the Course Review Form (link below). Please read the instructions on the form closely. To complete the Course Review Form, you must be on campus or connected to the Elon VPN. Instructions for accessing the Elon VPN are provided at the end of this section.

  • Identify the requirements you plan to fulfill during your time away.
  • Search for courses at your host institution that may meet your requirements.
  • List your preferred courses and backup options on the form and submit.

The Course Review Form will be returned to you via email by the Office of the Registrar (registrar@elon.edu) approximately two week after submission. On the returned form you’ll find important notes and next steps if specific courses require additional department approvals.

Programs that have a separate course review or registration process:

  • Elon in LA and Charlotte: Students register themselves for courses through OnTrack.
  • Elon in DC:
    • Download the Elon in DC Course Review Form.
    • Save the document as: Last Name_First Name_DC Course Review Form.
      • Example: Washington_George_DC Course Review Form
    • Complete the form.
    • Email the completed form to rstraka@elon.edu with the subject line “DC Course Review Form.”

4. Complete the Course Review Form Questionnaire via the MyElonGlobal portal. You will need to upload a PDF of your returned Course Review Form with the Registrar’s notes and approvals and certifying that you understand and have followed the Course Review Process.

Timeframe for submitting a Course Review Form:

  • December 15 – March 15
    • Summer and Fall Terms
  • June 15 – October 15
    • Spring Term

TIP: Submit your Course Review Form early! Submitting your Course Review Form early will allow you to receive feedback before the drop/add period for the semester before your program begins.

Questions on using Elon’s VPN?

Step-by-step instructions for installing Elon’s VPN

Quick guide to securely access eDocs forms with the Elon VPN

Video guide for accessing Elon’s VPN to process an eDocs form

For Global Short-Term programs:

(Winter Term and semester travel-embedded)

You can register for only ONE program per term.

It is your responsibility to register both for your Fall preparatory course and for your Winter Term course at the time of registration (in April and/or November). See the enrollment instructions for more detailed information.

The Fall prerequisite course and Winter Term courses must be designated to the same requirement on the degree audit.

If there is a course scheduling conflict for your course or your prerequisite preparatory seminar, you will not be able to enroll in the program.

The following programs have additional requirements. Please go to the program brochure page for more information.

  • BUS 281: Business in The Pacific Rim
  • Costa Rica Human Service Studies Practicum
  • India Public Health Practicum
  • Italy Bodies of Knowledge

For more information on global short-term program policies, please see the Policies page.

For Independent Programs

Students register for Elon coursework, often independent study, after the independent program application is approved.

For Non-Elon Petitions

Students complete a transfer credit form, available from MyElonGlobal after their Non-Elon petition is approved.